Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Univega touring frame

I am looking at this frame for my husband. Anyhoo, do you think this is a univega gran tourismo? worth the asking price ($80)? Finally, any idea what the standover would be on this with 700C wheels? I can't have much more than 30.5".

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/1900150305.html

Looks like a good deal if the condition is as good as it looks. But I'm guessing standover height will be b/t 31-32".

Good deal only if you have all of the parts to complete it. If you have to buy the parts to complete, you will be upside down pretty quick on this bike. And this assumes you will do all of the work yourself. If you have the parts in hand, just take a pair of 700c wheels with you and check the stand over. Looks like a 21 inch frameset to me. Note, those early Univegas came with 27 inch wheels.

Good deal only if you have all of the parts to complete it. If you have to buy the parts to complete, you will be upside down pretty quick on this bike. And this assumes you will do all of the work yourself. If you have the parts in hand, just take a pair of 700c wheels with you and check the stand over. Looks like a 21 inch frameset to me. Note, those early Univegas came with 27 inch wheels.

I was thinking of going the bicycle coop route as parts source and for (self) labor, but as is, I don't have parts in hand, especially wheels. So standover would be hard to check. I was under the impression that the hard core touring models were smaller wheeled than their sport touring cousins, hence I thought 700C was accurate. Upon further forum research, it seems that Miyata (who I think made this frame) used both 27" and 700C wheelsets for their touring frames, sometimes interchangeably.

I am not looking to make money on this bicycle, but to perhaps build a quality touring bike for much less than $1100.

I always thought wheelsize was more of a price thing rather than what the bike was built for. however I do think alot of '80 touring bikes did have 27" wheels

nice looking frame

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=164872&d=1281980542

Some report having issues trying to fit 700 wheels on the Univega Gran Turismo, due to the placement of the canti braze ons. Others report some success. Do a search of the forum, and you will find some of the discussion. It is one of those issues that can give you a headache trying to build up a frame.

As far as how common the 27 inch wheel size was on vintage touring bikes, in the last few years I have had these brands touring bikes with 27 inch wheels: Trek, Cannondale, Fuji, Lotus, Univega, Schwinn, and Miyata (eleven bikes total). In the same period, I only had one vintage touring bike with 700c wheels.

thanks for the input, everyone. today must be the day of touring univegas, since a new ad popped up for a complete bike (gran turismo) in perhaps a smaller size. hopefully this one will work out.

A complete bike is almost always the way to go.

I don't know if this is common to other regions, but it seems like the Seattle area is crawling with univegas! They must have sold well here back in the day.